Undergraduate / 'Assisting others without compensation' - FSU Admissions [7]

For almost one hundred years, the Latin words, "Vires, Artes, Mores" have been the guiding philosophy behind Florida State University. Vires signifies strength of all kinds - moral, physical, and intellectual; Artes alludes to the beauty of intellectual pursuits as exemplified in skill, craft, or art; and Mores refers to character, custom, or tradition. Describe how one or more of the values embodied in these concepts are reflected in your life.-

When explaining how "Vires, Artes, Mores" is significant to my life, it does no justice to separate these words and treat them as individual statements. I believe strength is nothing without character, character is nothing without beauty, and beauty is nothing without strength. You can never learn to appreciate any one of them, without a proper balance of these three characteristics. So instead of explaining how any one is embodied in me, I believe it to be necessary to explain situations in which all three were exemplified.

Upon entering high school, I have admired all who called themselves an FSU Seminole. However, it would be fabrication to state that the moment I stepped onto the grounds, I considered education to be my antecedent. Like many average students, school was merely a structure for me to amalgamate myself with the social hierarchy. It wasn't until I was called by my guidance counselor did I come to realize that my future was suffering. An acute lack of maturity was playing a big role in the solidification of an average future. It was then that I realized I needed an immediate alteration of my priorities. This revelation marked the dawn of my embodiment of "Vires, Artes, Mores".

There are no excuses for my lack of a 4.2 GPA. I also didn't score a 1600 on the SAT. But I do enjoy helping people, and I believe this trait tells more of a person than any recorded number ever can. It's just as important as my GPA and SAT scores to know that every job I've had values customer service to the utmost extent. It can be debated that I showed great customer service because of the supreme motivator, money. It's a much more arduous debate on why I'm an active "volunteer" of Big Brothers Big Sisters Inc. "Vires, Artes, Mores" is symbolic in me because I don't mind assisting others without being compensated. This is where strength comes in. The will to work for nothing other than the piece of mind that someone, if not you, is benefiting. And that strength alludes to my belief in solid custom. The beauty of it all is specified under my belief in doing nothing with the intention of applying oneself less than 100% to any task.

When speaking of past experiences, it seems as if I'm boasting more than informing of the actual experience. Thus, it's quite imperative to know that volunteer work, to me presently, is just as important as a high school GPA. This is because it measures the "Vires, Artes, Mores" content in a person. I have an above average GPA. It's not amazing and it doesn't prove that I excelled in high school, but the fact that I willingly help others does. This being said, FSU would provide an unparalleled atmosphere in which to further expand my knowledge of the engineering field and better myself as a person in the coming years and beyond.